Tokyo Mew Mew Mysteries
by MewBlackberri
Summary: When tragedy befalls the Mews it's up to Purin to pick up the pieces and solve the mystery before the same fate befalls their children. Includes characters from: TMM, FMA, CCS, Chobits, Phoenix Wright, Kino no Tabi, and Gunslinger Girl.
1. Begining

**Deat- Author's Notebook: Yup! This is just about exactly what it looks like! My first ever full length fanfiction! This would be mainly Tokyo Mew Mew, but not bound much by the plot of Tokyo Mew Mew. It takes place after they are all grown up, when their children are still young. Not all chapters will be told from this odd perspective, as I wanted to use present tense for the prologue which simple tells you what happens between Tokyo Mew Mew and this story. On paper, it was over twenty three pages long. Every character in her, excluding the children, are pulled from another anime, manga or light novel. Disclaimers are as follows:**

**I DO NOT OWN Tokyo Mew Mew, Cardcaptor Sakura, Kino no Tabi, Full Metal Alchemist, Gunslinger Girl, Chobits or Phoenix Wright.**

Bells are Marriages

Bugles are Deaths

Birds are Birth

* * *

_Begining_

A tinkle of a bell, pink eyes lit in the silhouette of eight figures, standing in the door frame of a log cabin. The owners of the cabin, a young male adult and a pale haired girl with a lost expression and an odd pair of mouse-like ears, cower against the far wall. A creature with the hind legs of a cat and shell of a turtle, among other miss-matched parts, turns towards the figures in the doorway.

"I don't know how you got here, but terrorizing a couple's summer get-away is unforgivable!" yells the pink eyed figure as light falls upon the ground, identifying her as Mew Ichigo.

The monster roars and charges, the group scattering to dodge. Two of the girls, a purple mew called Mew Zakuro and a fiesty blue one by the name of Mew Minto, summon their weapons and prepare to fight.

"Minton Alo! Rebourn Minto Echo!"

"Zakuro Cross! Reborn Zakuro Pure!"

An arrow flies at the monster from one side as the tail of a whip descends from the other side. With a roar and a small push off from the ground, the monster, known to the Mews as a Kirema Anima, rears to its hind legs. The two attacks keep moving past each other through the air, the arrow hitting the purple fighter, the whip throwing the blue fighter from the air.

Their companion, dressed in green, takes the open hit to the monster as Mews red and pink go to assist the fallen. The green Mew, Mew Retasu, summons her castanets and prepares her own attack to the monster's now-exposed chest.

"Lettuce Tanets! Reborn Lettuce Flash!"

The monster falls over backwards, Hideki and Chi, the owners of the place, cowering from it's thrashing jaws. The red Mew, known as Mew Ringo, lifts her own stick-like weapons.

"Apple Stick! Reborn Apple Pop!"

A glowing light envelopes the fallen purple and blue mews, healing them. The four Mews, pink, red, purple and blue, stand once more and join the green Mew. A little yellow Mew and the white Mew join them as a blond male decked out in blue, known to them as the Blue Knight, lands within the group. The little yellow Mew quickly spreads the plan she came to tell as the monster returns to it's feet. The pink mew nods as the group splits, firing their own attacks from random direction.

"Reborn Minto Echo!" an attack fires from above.

"Reborn Zakuro Pure!" a second attack fires for the monster's hind leg.

"Berri Rod! Reborn Loveberry Check!" the third attack fires square for it's side.

"Reborn Retasu Flash!" this fires a fourth attack, aiming for the monster's opposite side.

"Strawberry Bell Bell! Reborn Strawberry Check!" the final attack comes, pointed directly at the monster's face.

With a loud outcry, it retreats swiftly inside of the turtle shell on it's back. Each attack hits the shell, doing nothing. A final attack fires from far above where the Blue Knight has tossed the littlest Mew.

" Pudding Ring! Take this, Kappa-san! Reborn Pudding Ring Inferno!"

The monster freezes, half way out of it's shell. A thick gelatin traps the creature and restricts it's motion. The pink Mew calls as each Mew's weapon glows. Zakuro Cross, Lettcues Tanets, Minto Arrow, Pudding Rings, Apple Sticks, Berri Rod, The Blue Knight's sword all become glowing energy, and then a mega power boost for Ichigo's Strawberry Bell.

"Strawberry Bell Bell, Version Up!"

In a burst of light, the weapon appears around the pink warrior. The ring-like weapons of the yellow Mew hover around her waist in a much larger form as the castanet of the green Mew settles at the top of the pink Mew's Strawberry Bell. Two blue wings, wrapped with the purple Mew's whip, sprout from the sides while a row of three strawberries settle behind the castanet, bordered on the sides with the bow from one of the red Mew's weapons. The pink Mew grasps the weapon by the sides of the heart-shaped section, a glare forming on her face. The weapon charges and then begins to glow.

"Reborn Strawberry Check Surprise!"

The monster roars and bursts into a bunch of little jelly-fish like Kirema parasites. In swoops a fluffy little robot to gobble up the little alien bugs. It returns to the group as an agonized cry rings out from the back of the room, where the couple had gone to cower in fear.

"Chi?"

Sparks jump from the half-smashed face of the blond girl with the strange ears. She looks up into the agony wrench face of her lover, questioning. Tears dance behind his eyes never falling, watching as his one true love slips away. Chokeing, he coaxes her to stay.

"Don't leave me Chi, don't go. You can't die, not now."

The tears threaten to fall as the previously victorious team bows their heads. In the cross fire, the girl had been struck and critically damaged. It was their fault, but they didn't know what to do. The robot girl smiles up at her lover, amber eyes blinking one last time.

"I love you Hideki."

She short circuits, her eyes staying open. The Mews mutter a short apology and leave, back the way they came. The man hugs the girl to his chest, glaring at the retreating figures, vowing vengence.

"Chi!!"


	2. Memories Part One

**Deat- Author's Notebook: This would be the second part to the prologue. Don't get your knickers in a knot; only two more sections of prologue and I'll get started on the actual story. As mentioned before: Birds are Births, Bells are Wedding and Bugles are Deaths. You'll see a whole lot of all three. For those of you who don't know, at a wedding when the bouquet is tossed, supposedly the person who catches it will be the next one to get married. Also, do not review this unless your comment relates to the story. I don't want any "Hiyas!" or "You're from -- aren't you!". If you think you saw me somewhere else, contact me there, because I want my reviews to be feedback on the story, okies?**

_Purple Bells_

A huge church sits nestled in the piles of December snow as more falls outside the stained-glass windows. Inside white flowers are arranged all over the church's pews and railings. A crows is gathered, amongst them members of the media, news reporters and television camera men to record the wedding of the young, yet very famous model, Fujiwara Zakuro. Up in the very front pews of the bride's side, sits her own mother, her closest friends and a young girl named Momoka. The little bond girl seated way up at the front as one of Zakuro's friends begins to bounce in her seat.

"Zakuro onii-sama is getting married, na no da!"

The green-haired girl seated next to the blond smiles at her. She slides her own hand over the blonde's in hope of keeping her from bouncing right out of her seat. The brown eyes of their brunette friend, older then the blond but younger than the green-haired girl, shimmer in amazement.

"Only sixteen years old!"

The brunette is fascinated with the young marriage. From the pew to their right, a girl their age turns her head over. She blinks her green eyes in amazement.

"Only Sixteen? She looks so mature..."

Conversation between the two pews ensues. The girl, little sister to the groom, introduces herself as Kinimoto Sakura. An organ sounds a familiar tune as the whole church pitters into silence. The groom stands still as the audience gasps at the bride, entering from the back.

Her raven locks are bound tightly into a bun on top of her head, surrounded by little Flowers made of clear crystals as well as diamond. Trailing from that band of precious "flowers" is a sparkly white veil, covering the brides flawless face with a light gauzy material, and ending on her shoulder in a shower of flowery lace. A sparkly white bodice, v-cut at the collar with thing straps for sleeves, flows beneath the veil. Small silvery seed pearls speckle the bodice, leading the way down to her lofty white skirt.. The fabric sweeps around her lower body, making her especially elegant as she floats down the aisle, one hand draped on her father's arm, the other holding an elaborate bouquet composed of red and white roses, speckled here and there with bits of Baby's Breath.

The crowd gasps and sighs as she goes by, oohing and ahing. Her eyes never leave the altar as she walks, posture perfect, head raised. The single bride's maid trails in her wake, black hair in curls around her petite shoulders. Her smile is radiant as she watches her role model and idol step towards the altar. The trio arrive, the bride's father stepping to the side as Minto, the bride's maid, takes her place beside the Best Man, a scrawny boy named Yukito. The bride takes her own place across from the groom as complete and utter silence fills the room.

"We are gathered here today..."

The preacher speaks half from memory, half from the Christan bible in his hands. Only the occasional blowing of a nose breaks the silence as he reads on. Eventually, he comes to the final vows and, turning his head to the groom, reads them.

"Do you, Kinimoto Toya, take this lovely woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

A sigh comes from the audience as the sweet moment progresses. The blond bounces in her seat again as her elder brunette friend, who looks more like a red-head, silently tries to keep her calm.

"Do you, Fujiwara Zakuro, take this hansom man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"You may now kiss the bride."

Toya lifts the veil of his bride, draping it over the back of her head with care. The two lean forward and kiss, lips locking for what seems like forever in a simple but passionate kiss. A mass eruption of clapping, oohs and ahs erupts as the two separate, staring into each other's eyes. Minto looks on in joyous envy as both friends and family of the couple cheer.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

With a smile and a quick toss, the beautiful bouquet of the bride is launched into the air backwards into the crowd, straight into the hands of Ichigo Momoiya. With a wink towards her, Zakuro turns back to her new husband, delivering a second kiss.

--  
_Purple Birds_

A cheery August day peeps through the windows of a small waiting room. Back and forth paces Zakuro's dark-haired husband as behind him, Zakuro's littlest friend bounces with impatience. The wedding, now almost two years past, breaks into the conversation, brought on by a brunette wearing not only a pink penguin purse, but a Mew Aqua pendant necklace and a cute red ribbon in her hair.

"I hope my wedding dress will be as pretty as Zakuro onii-sama's."

The pale haired bond with the almost red eyes nods in agreement to the first girl's statement.

"Totally, Ringo-chan, but for you'd we'd have to add more ribbons!"

Both of them laugh together as their prissy black-haired friend rolls her eyes, neatening her skirts for the hundredth time.

"The sort of dress would be highly expensive, you know. Not something a simple pedestrian could afford."

She sticks her nose in the air as usual. Berri, as was the pale blond's name, sighs dreamily.

"It would still be nice..."

The smaller, more golden haired blond leaps from her seat, posing with one finger pointing towards the heavens, her other hand rested on her hip.

"I'll have a wedding dress prettier than all of your's combine, na no da!"

The group laughs at her statement. They laugh not only since she's far from marriage, but also because she has included both males who were sitting with them, in the statement. Into the middle of this bursts a nurse from the other room, smiling from ear to ear.

"It's a boy!"

Toya rushes for the door as the nurse steps aside. The rest follow with a little less rush in their pace. Entering the room, they see their raven haired companion gently holding a bundle of blankets. Tufts of brown hair poke from the top of the blanket as blue eyes peek out from drooping lids.

"What are you going to call him?"

The little blond tries to get a better look at the baby. Her green haired friend makes sure to hold her back. The raven haired mother of the child ponders.

"Tomo..."

She thinks, finding that a plain name. She gives an imploring look to her husband, who's eyes light up as he snaps his fingers.

"Kinomoto Tomokazu."

_Purple Birds (again)_

May fills the dim waiting room as once again the group sits waiting. Tomokazu, almost ten months old by this time, sits at home with his aunt, Sakura. Toya paces little this time, but sits impatiently with the group. The green-haired girl ponders a question.

"So what are you going to name the baby, Toya-san?"

The dark-haired male looks up at Retasu, the answer already formulated from months of waiting for this day to come.

"If it's a boy, we'll call him Shinichiro, because Zakuro-chan likes the name."

The green-haired girl nods, readjusting first her glasses, and then the little blond sleeping against her shoulder. It seems that most of the crew has dropped off to sleep by this point, as it is quite late at night.

"Pudding-chan, you shouldn't have come if you were going to sleep the whole time."

Retasu surrenders and begins to doze off, head rested on top of the little blond's. The black-haired girl, sitting tall as always, opens her mouth with a better question, speaking softly.

"And if it's a girl?"

Toya looks at her for a moment before he replies, voice low as to not wake the others.

"Nadeshiko. It was my mother's name."

The black haired girl nods, satisfied with the choice of names. She herself leans back in her chair but before she can doze off, a lone reporter slips into the room. Minto sits back up, an annoyed look on her face. Toya shrugs, giving the signal that the report, who promptly begins to question the two, is alright.

"All of you were there at the wedding, weren't you?"

Minto nods, shushing the reporter. He nods as well, lowering his voice, and turns towards Toya.

"So, what are you planning to name the baby?"

Toya explains the names to the reporter. Both he and Minto converse with him until a tired looking nurse comes into the room. Minto and Toya quickly nudge the others awake and they, reporter and all, turn to face the nurse.

"It's a beautiful baby girl, spitting image of her mother and a still born twin."

_Pink Bells_

February, the month of love, starts what comes to be known among the Mews as the Year of Pink. Valentines Day blooms with an orchestra in full swing. Cherry Blossoms, faked due to their blooming date, share the spotlight with red roses as the primary decorations. Swaths of gauzy white cloth stretchers between fake ionic pillars, beautifying the white pews, set up on a white cloth in the grass. Roses and sakuras tumble towards the bride and groom as they exchange their vows.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

The bride, deckd out in pink, smiles, turning her back to the crowd. She grips her bouquet of pink roses and small, red rose buds the tosses it, up over her shoulders, to the people behind her. Ichigo, the bride, swirls in her ribbon-covered dress to face the crowd, pink gloved hands clasped as she watches the bouquet fall. A pale haired blond, a friend of the bride named Berri, catches it with ease. She then promptly runs up to the bride to hug her.

"That means I'm up next, Ichigo-chan! You'll be my Maid of Honor, I swear!"

They laugh together as the groom, dark haired and tanned, stands to the side watching. The party abandons the altar, switching their views to the canopied dance floor, decked out with lights to compensate for the on-coming twilight. Couples file onto the dance floor as a blond male, Ryou, approaches Ichigo's green haired friend.

"May I have this dance, Retasu-chan?"

Retasu blinks and, with a blush, slips her own hand into his. He wisks her onto the dance floor but, at the edge of the floor, she trips, grazing Ryou's foot with her own heeled shoe.

"Gomena-"

"Shhhh."

He presses a finger to her lips, silencing her in an instant. They drift onto the dance floor, Retasu stumbling a bit at first, but slowly gaining her balance. Ichigo and both of her blond friends watch from a table near by. Berri sighs as she sets her bouquet, caught after it was thrown by the bride, onto the table.

"Those two are such a cute couple, aren't they Ichigo-chan?"

The bride nods in agreement to her friend's comment. She removes her veil and sets it on the table as two males, the groom and a similar looking young man known as Tasuku, approach. They arrive, each addressing their respective love interests.

"Care to dance?"

Both girls giggle and slid their hands into that of their lovers'. As the two walk off their now-teenaged friend, sporting a head of golden hair, slumps on the table.

"After parties are so boring, na no da..."

A bush to her left rustles and startles the girl. She quickly slips into the hedge, just as she spots a male figure in a doctor's coat darting towards the main house on the grounds, towards the distance. His clothing and sneaky actions alert her to the fact he doesn't belong there. She lowers her voice, whispering to herself as she stalks him, referring to herself by her Chinese name as well as adding the surname of a famous detective.

"Bu-ling Holmes, na no da!"

She follows the man to the edge of the grounds where the wedding is being held. Music from the orchestra follows her until the crickets and an early cicada swallows it up. She pauses, hearing the out-of-season insect, brow furrowing.

"Cicadas are summer bugs, na no da. It's to cold for them right now..."

Her thoughts shift back to the problem at hand as a twig snaps nearby. She jumps, before darting forward, reaching her hand out towards the green fabric of an adult male's shirt sleeve, poking from beneath his jacket, as he slides through a doorway. The girl's foot catches on a branch, throwing her forward before she can secure a proper grasp on him. She tumbles to the ground, a scrap of cloth from his shirt clutched in her hand, as the door clicks closed. Picking herself up, Purin picks herself up, trying the door to no avail. Looking at the scrap of cloth in her hand, she mutters to herself.

"Who could that have been, na no da?"

_Red Bugles_

Trees envelope an elegant cabin, nestled in the heart of a tropical nature reserve, the smells of June descending upon those present there. Animals keep their silence as if in honor of the sacrifice made during a recent incident. A group stands around an elegant altar decked with bright flowers. Framed among the tropical flowers is a photograph of a brown-haired teenager, smiling at the world through big brown eyes. An older boy, dressed in a military uniform, lays a blue pendent, matching the one worn by the girl in the photo, on the altar.

"I'm sorry I failed to protect you, Ringo-chan. You were the best little sister anyone could ask for."

Mashio, older brother to the girl whom the altar was built to honor, steps back to join the others, friends of Ringo who had come to honor their dead friend. A pair of young children, the oldest only two, sit silently in their carriage. Their mother, a raven haired beauty, steps forward.

"Thank you, Ringo-chan, for being the extra little light in our lives."

She steps back to the protective embrace of her husband. Each of the people gathered there step forward in turn. Their red-headed friend, Ichigo, comes forward last. One hand rests on her growing belly, the other on the altar. She smiles a rueful smile.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to shake my image of you as the shy little girl, hiding behind her brother. It was a noble thing you did, Ringo, standing up for the animals in the face of the poachers. Yuki-chan would have been proud of you."

She refers to both the incident resulting in her friend's death, and the pet penguin of her friend who lay buried in the plot beside it's master after a death at a ripe old age. Ichigo lifts her hand, brushing tears from her face. Choking down a sob, she finishes her farewell.

"I'll miss you, Ringo."

She retreats, sobbing, to her spouse. The others bow their heads in respect for their fallen comrade. They begin migrating inside, the aryan male troubled.

"What were poachers doing here on the island?"

Mashio falls into step with the questioner. The rest of the group moves ahead, leaving them standing on the porch to converse.

"I don't know. We have many rare and beautiful creatures here on the reserve. They could have wanted any of them for their pelts."

Ryou nods in understanding. He turns around, stepping inside of the home, leaving Mashio on the porch. Sighing, Mashio turns his face towards the sky.

"Good-bye, Ringo-chan."

_Pink Birds_

Late October and once more the waiting room is packed with friends. The lack of Ringo's smiling face effects the happy aura only slightly. Zakuro, their raven haired friend, rejoins the group after a detour to the lobby for food. She slips her sunglasses into her bag as her husband distributes the food. A golden haired friend of Ichigo's sits next to another Ichigo's friends, this one from high school, with black, boy length hair.

"Ichigo-chan is having a baby. I hope it's cute..."

The black-haired girl scoffs.

"All babies are cute! I wonder if it'll be a little girl."

The two go off in a tangent about baby clothes while munching on a tray of Chinese food. Another one of the group, munching on a salad in a cannibalistic style, brushes her green hair over her shoulders.

"It is amazing, though. Ichigo-chan is hard to imagine as a mother."

Minto nods, setting down her glass of tea. She dabs her mouth with a napkin, turning towards where Masaya and Ichigo's parents sit.

"So, how many children are you guys planning on?"

Masaya laughs at something said by his red-haired mother-in-law before addressing the dark-haired girl properly.

"I was thinking at least two, so they'll always have a play mate. Ichigo-chan wants at least one daughter, so who knows."

Satisfied, the questioner nods, returning to her afternoon tea. Silence envelops the group as they eat their lunches. Minto gives up her tea and joins her idol in feeding her two children. The little boy, Tomokazu, takes interest in her, laughing and smiling. Feeding the little boy from a plastic container of peach baby food, the younger girl notes the difference in personalities of the two siblings.

"Nadeshiko is a lot quieter than Tomokazu."

The mother, Kinomoto Zakuro, nods as she tucks a bib on her daughter. Time passes and soon enough, both babies are sleeping, lunch tucked away. Almost the entire room sits placidly or conversing in murmurs. An hour passes by, uneventful, until a nurse bursts into the room, taken slightly aback by the large group.

"It's a boy! This way please, family only."

He ushers Ichigo's parents and Masaya through the double doors to where the brunette lays, baby in arms. She smiles up at her family as they enter, the baby also content with staring at them through large, brown eyes. His own tufts of hair are already a dark shade of redish-brown, poking from a tanned scalp. Ichigo's mother beams at her little grandson.

"So, Ichigo, what are you going to name him?"

The couple glance at each other, finalizing a thought silently between the two. Ichigo smiles, stating the name with abundant warmth in her voice.

"Aoyama Noda."


	3. Memories Part Two

**Deat- Author's Notebook - It's me again! I'm proud to say this would be my third chapter in my first full-length story, thanks to days of sore fingers from writing this up on paper, then typing it all up. Hm... Like I keep saying, Bells are weddings, Bugles are Deaths, Birds are births and the next chapter will be the last of the prologue. I love comments, if they relate to the story, and I need feedback. . I swear, if someone other than Waffle Doll doesn't review, I'm going to stop at the prologue. Oh, and I forgot to say this in the last chapter, but I own none of these characters excluding children, preachers and nurses. Chapter one mentions everything I don't own, but if I add in a new series, I put a disclaimer for it. Dang... I had to make so many editations from the original prose. I referred to both Ringo and Ichigo as 'the brunette' as well as calling both Berri and Purin 'the blond', same with calling Minto and Zakuro 'the raven-haired girl'. Sheesh...  
**

_Pink Bugles_

A cold graveyard, white with now, shapes December. Standing around twin casks, laden with white lilies, are the friends of the deceased, now missing three members. The casks are lowered down into the ground as the preacher closes his Bible. 'Ichigo and Masaya Aoyama; beloved couple, children, parents and friends' reads the wide tombstone, the dates revealing their short lifespan. The group begins to slowly dissipate as dirt is laid over the fresh coffins, eternal lovers buried together forever. Their aryan friend sighs, turning towards Zakuro and her husband.

"So, what will happen to Noda? He has no parents to return to."

The raven-haired girl nods, readjusting the two month old Noda on her hip. She brushes her luxurious locks of hair over her shoulder. When she speaks, her voice is calm and schooled.

"I discussed it with his grandparents and they decided it would be best if he went home to live with Toya and me."

Ryou nods as Toya, Zakuro's husband, takes his elder two children to the car. As he begins buckling them in, Zakuro speaks again.

"They're old and heading to retirement in Nara. They wanted to give him the benefit of an up-to-date city and parents of parenting age."

As the Aryan nods again, little Noda stirs in his sleep, gnawing at the air. A smile lights up the face of his new mother as she runs a hand through his sparse red-brown hair. The conversation continues as Ryou and Zakuro slowly migrate towards the parking lot. Spotting a cicada, most likely now dead from being out far too early, the Aryan reaches out and brushes it from the shoulder of the sleeping child.

"Only twenty and the mother of three..."

She smiles ruefully, reaching her own car where Toya sits waiting, both toddlers secured in their seats. Noda is placed in the third baby seat in the back of the car next to his new siblings, Tomokazu and Nadeshiko. Zakuro slides into her own seat, hand over her slight baby bump. She addresses Ryou before closing the door of the car.

"Correction, mother of soon-to-be four."

_White Bells_

A fresh year kicks off with a January wedding. The birde, her birthday just the day before, sits with two of her friends, Minto and Retasu, as they help her prepare for the wedding. She turns, red eyes accusing, to the raven-haired model in the corner who sits, munching on a bag of potato chips.

"How do you plan to keep your figure with all that food? What flavor are those!?"

Zakuro holds up the bag of chips. The bag sports a picture of two chicken legs, almost red due to some sauce, as well as a potato mascot along with some writing, against a gold backdrop. The label is written in English, so she reads it off for them.

"Tandori Chicken."

The blond sighs and flips her head back around. A sad aura fills the room once more. Instead of her now-dead red-headed friend helping to apply her make-up, she has two others, just as close yet not the same.

"I miss Ichigo-chan."

Without a sound all five inhabitants of the room agree The golden haired blond, fourteen and still immature, hops up, impatient with the sad demeanor. She pokes her head outside the room and draws it back in, almost instantly.

"I think it's starting, na no da!"

The bride jumps up, fixing her veil nervously. Minto assures her that she looks just fine, in a rather rude way, while Retasu apologizes for what Minto just said. Zakuro disposes of the chip bag and hangs back, waiting for the others to leave the room. Her bride's maid dress has been special cut to house the growing bump on her belly, where her unborn child lay sleeping. The others file out, leaving little Purin in their wake. Zakuro motions the younger girl over to the dressing table, brush in hand. As Purin sits down, she beings to pull it through her golden hair, longer now than it used to be.

"You forgot to put your hair up, Pudding-chan. It looks better that way."

Pudding sighs. It had been up in a neat bun earlier that day, but she hated the style. It made her feel stiff, grown-up. She never wanted to grow-up.

The brush makes little noise as it's set back on the table. Zakuro pulls her hands through the girl's hair, securing it's style with thine, white hair elastics. Next, she slips two flowered hair pieces over the elastics, covering them up. She finishes off with a tube of lip gloss, brushing some over Purin's lips.

"But I don't like my hair when it's up, na no da!"

Zakuro shushes her, motioning her to turn around. The younger girl claps gleefully, happy with the pigtails the older girl put in her hair. She takes the hand of the dark-haired model and they leave the room together.

The wedding carried on without any issues. Berri laughs as her groom, Meguro Tasuku, slips a wedding ring on her finger. The second the preacher closes his Bible, she leaps to hug her new husband, laughing with joy. She pauses a beat and tosses her bouquet of ruby red roses, accented with bits of Baby's Breath, into the audience.

A blond male, muscular and tall, reaches up and grabs the bouquet as it sails above the heads of the bride's maids. He lowers it down and places it into the hands of the green-haired girl, resulting in a blush from her. The two lock eyes as Purin giggles, whispering a childish song to herself.

"Ryou and Retasu, sitting in a tree..."

_Green Bells_

March rolls in with a slight breeze, wafting across the banquet table at an outdoor wedding. The simple decorations, painted white, accent the cliff side scenery even more. Food is pile high, diminishing slowly but surely as the after party progresses. The green-haired bride, in a simple but elegant wedding dress, sits beside her handsome groom chatting to friends. She turns to face her dark-haired friend.

"So, when will you be having the wedding, Minto-san?"

The elegant girl scoffs at the formality attracting a glance from her rather tall fiance'. He soon returns to conversation with the other male playgoers. Minto continues.

"No need to be so formal, Retasu-chan. The invitations will be going out within the week. The actual wedding will be late April."

The bride nods, satisfied with the answers. She watches her two blond female friends converse. Her golden haired friend looks ready to leap from her seat. The young teen seems to be arguing an issue, a hot topic most likely.

"It can't be just a coincidence! They pop up everywhere!"

The light-haired blond rolls her eyes, prepared to argue a point. Retasu is curious about what is going on, getting a quick response from Berri, the pale haired blond.

"What's the problem, Berri-san, Pudding-chan?"

"She thinks cicadas are some sort of a bad omen."

Retasu finds this an odd conversation but holds her questions as the younger girl, Purin, speaks, the other blond quickly firing down all of her statements with a quick retort.

"If you remember, though Ichigo-chan's wedding was in February, there was still the sound of cicadas chirping."

"It was probably just an Erhu or something."

"Alright then, how do you explain the cicada husk left behind on the side of Ringo-chan's memorial?"

"What do you expect in those parts, and at that time of year as well."

"Ryou-san mentioned he saw a cicada perched on on Noda-kun at Ichigo-chan and Masaya-san's funeral, and there was one in my bouquet at your wedding. There was even one hanging around the banquet table at Zakuro-chan's last modeling gig! I'm telling you, it's an omen, or a clue of sorts! Something bad is going to happen, again!"

Berri seems unconvinced and shrugs it off. The younger blond seems miffed, but obliges to the silent agreement to drop the subject as Retasu returns to conversation with Minto. The two blonds sit in silence for a minute before Purin feels the need to apologize for getting mad at her friend.

"I'm sorry, Berri-san, it just seems like to much to be a mere coincidence."

"I know, Pudding-chan, but coincidences happen. Minto's boyfriend, Shimu, Shino, Shizu, whatever-he's-called, probably has pet cicadas he hides in his pockets or something."

Regardless of the fact that Shizu hadn't been with the group for long enough that that could be a valid excuse, the two giggle, closer and yet farther from the true than any of them have gotten yet. They had always found Minto's lanky boyfriend odd, not only for his seven foot hight. To them it seemed the couple two had been going out forever, when in truth it had been only three months. The giggles tapper off and the meal resumes. Minto sends them a scornful glance for referencing to her lover in such a way, but returns to fingering the bouquet she had caught during the wedding in it's late stages. Everything reverts to normal, or as normal as normal could get with two of their closest friends gone.

_Blue Bells_

April sunshine beams down on the backyard of a sprawling and elegant house. People sit watching the wedding, dressed in traditional kimonos and yukatans, as the bride walks down the aisle. The groom gasps along with the crowd, but quickly stifles it after an odd glance from his fluffy canine friend that read something like 'Shizu-sama, you dog,' without a pun intended.

She proceeds down the aisle, head raised high accenting her dark hair, coiled tightly to the back of her head with a jade comb tucked in it. Her kimono is a pure white with flecks of gold embroidery on the obi, giving it a regal touch while still matching nicely with her plain white sandals, raised so that she sand an extra inch and a half off the ground. Over both Kimono and obi she wears a traditional coat in a bright red color, accented with a trail of golden autumn leaves along it's train. Said train is held off the ground by her friends, Purin and Zakuro's sister-in-law Sakura, who takes the position Ringo would have held, had she been alive. The two wear matching kimonos in pink, decorated with Cherry Blossoms in yellow.

Minto reaches the altar, both girls in tow standing to the sides of the short stairs leading to the groom. The young brunette passes a hankie to the bride's mother who is crying tears of joy. The mother of the bride wears a black kimono, patterned with gold flowers below the obi, the traditional wear for a bride's mother. Friends of the bride stand to the other side, dressed in kimonos similar to that of the Bride's mother. Zakuro, in a purple kimono decorated in silver, calmly watches with her hand rested on the pronounced bulge in her belly where her child waits to be born. The two others, in green and pale pink, stand impatient with excitement and joy. Minto walks up the steps and stands, facing her groom. The audience laughs politely as to how far she has to crane her neck, even with platformed shoes on.

The priest chatters on about commitments and such. Shizu scoops up his dark haired bride a bit so that she can reach, and the two kiss. People cheer as a blushing Minto is set back on the ground. The two stare into each others eyes, smiling as Minto carelessly tosses the bouquet over her shoulder in a motion that could be viewed as comical if people weren't so occupied with catching the bouquet which lands safely in the hands of Kinomoto Sakura.

_Purple Birds & Bugles_

Toya Kinomoto sits on a cushy sofa in a large living room with walls of grey stone. A red plush carpet absorbs his feet and the bottom of the teenage blond seated before him. In her lap is a sleepy baby, deep brown eyes half opened. The room has a chilly atmosphere, contradicting the sunny June day outside the picture window of the adjoined kitchen. The blond addresses the depressed man before her as the baby's eyes flutter closed, a tuft of his dark hair falling into his face.

"Shini-chan is asleep, na no da."

Her voice is a whisper. The baby she holds is Kinomoto Shinichiro, the thrid and final child of one of her best friends, Zakuro. Three weeks had passes since the baby's birth as a frail, premature infant. It's mother had died just a week after birth from complications. Now, the only person left to care for him and his three siblings, one adoptive, until his aunt and uncle arrived from Hong Kong to help was Toya, who was currently in a state of deep depression. Till then, a wet nurse as well as Purin were stationed in the hom to help. The other friends of Zakuro were currently saddled with their own children and husbands, but still sent food.

"That's good. Thanks, Pudding-chan."

"It was a pleasure, na no da."

Toya scoops the baby gently from her arms, making his way through the large house to the baby room, set right next to the master bedroom. The golden-haired helper trails in his wake, reaching the baby room a few paces ahead of him. She tucks in the eldest child who lays sleeping in a bed shaped like a race car. Across the room, a trio of cribs stand, though only two are currently filled. Toya lays his son in the third crib as a faint honk of a car horn is heard, the origin being the front of the house. He turns his head, then moves from the baby room with Purin in tow once more.

The two arrive at the front of the large house as the occupants of a small red car step out onto the driveway. Toya walks over to give his younger sister a hug as she steps from the car.

"I'm glad you came, don't know what I'd do without you here."

His sister returns the hug, then returns to pulling something from the back seat of the car. Toya begins helping his brother-in-law unload the trunk. It's contents is composed of a few large suitcases and a spare dog carrier stuffed with things belonging to it's four-legged owner. The little golden-haired girl grabs said dog carrier wile the men take the suite cases. After closing the trunk, all four head into the house, Sakura carrying the primary dog carrier which holds both chew toys and a fluffy black Terrier. Toya talks softly as he leads them to their own personal wing of the house.

"There's a master bedroom, a baby room and a sitting room as well as a door to a small private yard. I was thinking of giving the children their own wing of the house, but I wasn't sure how responsible they'd grow up to be, so instead I gave you two spare bedrooms as well as an office. The baby room can become a closet, as it's not too large and would make for some good organizational space."

He talks for awhile longer, then leaves his sister with her things. Explaining he needs to drop Purin home, he leaves. Sakura frees her dog into the secluded section of the back yard to do her business. She sits down on a chair on the back deck next to Syaron, her husband. She sighs, content.

"It's just like a repeat of our parents. Both women were models, both died young, both leave young children. At least Brother has us to help him."

Her dark haired spouse nods, getting up to go unpack their stuff so that, when the moving truck arrives, they would have less stuff to unpack. Sakura whistles for her pooch and follows.

"I could get used to this place."


End file.
